Cuomo promises to shake up Senate leadership

Democrats in the Senate say they are taking Governor Andrew Cuomo at his word to help them regain the majority in the Senate, despite some indications that the governor might be walking back some of the promises he made at the Working Family Party’s convention Saturday night.

Credit WBFO News File Photo

Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins says she’s holding Governor Cuomo to his promise made to the Working Families Party, to regain Democratic control of the State Senate.

“He has to,” Stewart Cousins said.

Senator Stewart Cousins says she expects to see Cuomo out on the campaign trail with Democratic candidates this summer and fall.

“I would imagine that he’ll be campaigning with the Senators who will help him push forward his agenda,” she said.

At the party’s convention late Saturday night, Cuomo in a video produced in conjunction with Working Family leaders, pledged to unify around “taking back the Senate” for Democrats.

“Together we must go out and we must win a majority of the seats in the Senate,” Cuomo said.

“It is that simple, but it is that sweeping.”

The Senate is controlled by a coalition of Republicans and Independent Democrats, known as the IDC. Cuomo also, in the video, called for the IDC to reconcile with the rest of the Senate Democrats.

“We should start by telling the IDC that they must agree to return to the Democratic Party, or face our unified opposition,” Cuomo said in the video.

But just hours later, on Sunday morning, Cuomo, speaking at a parade, seemed to be walking back those comments, saying his remarks need “a little bit of context”.

“I also will oppose Democrats that oppose the things that we have tried to pass,” Cuomo said. “It’s not as easy as saying ‘all Democrats are good and all Republicans are bad, or vice versa’”.

Independent Democrats who co lead the Senate have said repeatedly that they are for those things, but just can’t convince the GOP to go along.

Senate IDC Leader Jeff Klein did not have any immediate comment.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, who has had a good working relationship with Cuomo, says the governor’s pledges to work against the current Senate leadership a tale of two Cuomos.

He says the governor is arising television commercials that portray Democrats and Republicans working together on tax reduction and other issues, while the other Andrew Cuomo is “kow towing to the most extreme liberal Working Families Party, saying bi partisanship doesn’t work in Albany”.

Skelos says he has not spoken to Cuomo, but predicts that the more “controversial” remaining end of session issues will not see action this year.